Around 17,000 government doctors across Tamil Nadu are on an indefinite strike from today demanding pay parity with central government doctors. Patients would get only emergency care and life-saving treatment. Doctors will not attend to other optional procedure. This would affect around six lakh out-patients and 1.5 lakh in-patients in around 2,000 hospitals across the state. The AIADMK government which had sought six weeks' time, said it is considering the doctors' demands. It is not clear yet if the government will invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). NDTV spoke to a group of striking doctors.